William h



(ModeL) W. H. ERTELL.

PORTABLE TRUNK RACK.

Patented Jan. 31,1882.

' ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT 0 Farce.

WILLIAM H. ERTELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE TRUNK-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,024, dated January 31, 1882.

- Application filed "October 15,1ss1. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ERTELL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Trunk-Racks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similarletters of reference indicate-corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement, the center piece or top being removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same, taken through the line 00 or of Fig. 1, the center piece or top being shown in place. Fig. 3 is a reduced sectional side elevation with the legs broken off, showing the trunk supported thereon.

The object of this invention is to furnish a rack for supporting trunks, to facilitate being moved readily from place to place without injury to the carpets or floors, and which is adapted to be used as a table when not used for supporting trunks.

The invention consists of a frame provided with legs mounted upon casters and having a removable center piece or top, as hereinafter fully described.-

A represents a rectangular frame, the side and end bars of which are made strong and heavy and are firmly secured to each other.

To the corners of the frame A are attached the upper ends of the posts or legs B, to the lower ends of which are attached casters 0. The legs B are made of such a length as will bring the frame A to such a height that a trunk supported upon it will be in a suitable of the corner blocks, D, are at a distance below the upper edge of the frame A equal to the thickness of the removable center piece or top, E, so that the upper surface of the said center piece or top will be flush with the upper edge of the said frame. The middle part of the trunk I is supported, upon one or more crossbars, F, the ends of which rest upon cleats Gr, attached to the side bars of the frame A at a distance from their upper edges equal to the combined thickness of the center piece or top, E, and cross-bar F. I

v If desired, cleats H may be attached to the end bars of the frame Ain such positions that their upper edges will be flush with the upper edges of the corner blocks, D, to give additional support to the ends of the trunk I.

With this improvement a trunk can be readily moved from one room toanother and from one part of a room to another, however large and heavy the said trunk may be, and without any danger of injuring the carpet or floor, and, when desired, is adapted to be used as a table simply by removing the trunk and placing the center piece or top, E, in the space formerly occupied by the trunk.

The center piece or top, E, may be covered with a woven fabric or other suitable material, or left plain, as may be desired.

7 Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The frame A, having a central opening provided with corner brackets, D, longitudinal strips E, and transverse piece F, and adapted to receive a trunk or centerpiece, substantially as shown and described, whereby the said frame is adapted to be used either asa trunkrack or table, as set forth.

WILLIAM H. ER'IE LL. 

